Senior Machine Learning Engineer, Ad Platforms

Senior Machine Learning Engineer – Ad Platforms

Technology is at the heart of Disney’s past, present, and future. Disney Entertainment and ESPN Product & Technology is a global organization of engineers, product developers, designers, technologists, data scientists, and more – all working to build and advance the technological backbone for Disney’s media business globally. The team marries technology with creativity to build world‑class products, enhance storytelling, and drive velocity, innovation, and scalability for our businesses.
Ad Platforms is responsible for Disney’s industry‑leading ad technology and products – driving advertising performance, innovation, and value in Disney’s sports, news, and entertainment content across all media platforms.
Responsibilities

Develop, optimize, and productionize innovative technologies in generative AI (mixed media, video, and agentic LLM applications) as well as in traditional ML modeling applications.
Create, evaluate, improve, and optimize technologies.
Drive innovation and apply state‑of‑the‑art AI and machine learning across advertising domains, including inventory forecasting, ad experience, ad pacing, pricing, targeting, and efficient ad delivery.
Invent and iterate on novel solutions to complex advertising challenges with rapid prototyping and deployment cycles.
Design, build, and scale robust ML systems that power core ad platform capabilities.
Champion engineering excellence through best practices in code quality, system design, and operational reliability.
Mentor and support junior engineers, fostering a culture of continuous learning and technical growth.
Requirements

Bachelor’s in computer science or equivalent experience.
Minimum 5 years of hands‑on experience developing and deploying large‑scale machine learning systems.
Prior experience rigorously developing, researching, and/or productionizing generative AI modeling or AI‑based editing domains such as image, video, mixed media, audio, LLMs, or agentic flows.
Strong interest in self‑teaching via publications and training resources in generative modeling, including generative video and diffusion modeling.
Experience creating ML datasets (especially in computer vision or generative AI) or developing rigorous quality evaluation processes or data labeling processes.
Appreciation for the importance of rigorous quality evaluation processes.
Experience developing language‑processing applications via LLMs or agentic flows, or strong interest to learn.
Experience in rapid creative prototyping with generative AI is a plus.
Strong knowledge of AI/ML technologies, mathematics, and statistics.
Excellent communication and collaboration skills with both technical and non‑technical audiences.
Strong foundations in algorithms, data structures, and numerical optimization.
Experience with programming languages such as Python (primary), Java, and SQL.
Familiarity with deep learning tools and frameworks such as TensorFlow, PyTorch, JAX, HuggingFace libraries, etc.
Strong familiarity and experience with traditional ML modeling and methods.
Proven proficiency in deep learning methodologies and transformer architectures.
Proven track record of thriving in a fast‑paced, data‑driven, and collaborative work environment.
Nice‑to‑Haves

MS or PhD (preferred) in computer science or equivalent experience.
Experience working closely with UX and front‑end designers building production generative AI products.
Experience with multimodal models and embedding techniques.
Experience in digital video advertising or digital marketing domain.
Location

Seattle, Santa Monica, Glendale.
Compensation and Benefits

The hiring range for this position is $141,900 to $190,300 per year in Los Angeles, CA and $148,700 to $199,400 per year in Seattle, WA. Compensation may vary based on geography, role, and internal equity. A bonus and/or long‑term incentive units may be provided as part of the compensation package, in addition to a full range of medical, financial, and other benefits.

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